


the one where Jughead realizes that he might not like girls but he sure does like Betty

by tritone



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 14:03:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19335997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tritone/pseuds/tritone
Summary: Jughead had never really found girls as interesting as all the other boys his age did. That's what he thought, at least, but he comes to realize that while he doesn't exactly find girls as a whole interesting, he does find one very specific girl particularly intriguing.





	the one where Jughead realizes that he might not like girls but he sure does like Betty

Jughead had never really found girls as interesting as all the other boys his age did. That’s not to say that he was gay, because he never really found boys all that interesting either. When he thinks about it later on, it seems glaringly obvious that this is how things would play out from the very beginning. It’s just that, well, he had always thought that his two best friends would finally clean up their act and get together someday, so he hadn’t realized what was in front of him all along. That’s what he tells himself, anyway.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He remembered a time when he was five, and it was his first day of kindergarten. All the kids on the playground were running around during recess, playing tag, kicking around a rubber ball, and participating in other roughhousing games, while Jughead was leaning against the brick wall of the boring school behind him with a book cradled in his lap, futilely attempting to drown out the shrieks and laughs of the children all around him.

“Jughead, come play!” He looked up to see a red-headed boy in his class, holding the rubber ball hostage from the other kids, who were looking disappointed and angry. A few laughed at his use of the name “Jughead,” which made both of them scowl. That red-headed boy had big, brown eyes and an innocent look on his face, and just so happened to be Jughead’s best and only friend, Archie Andrews. He strayed a little bit farther from the game, still with the red ball tucked underneath his elbow, and a boy with dark hair and dark eyes jogged away from the crowd to knock it away from him so the rest of them could continue playing.

“Sorry, Archie. I’m just not that interested in sports. You know that.”

Archie nodded his head, mumbling a quick, “I know, sorry.” The boy walked over and sunk to the ground next to him, and neither of them said anything for a few minutes, just watching as the kickball game fell apart and the kids all scattered to partake in different activities. As the crowd thinned, Jughead saw a small, blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail sitting up against a wall on the opposite side of the courtyard, wearing a light blue dress and holding a book in her lap. She looked familiar in a way he couldn’t quite place.

Just as he opens his mouth to ask Archie, Archie’s voice rises up loudly from beside him. “Elizabeth!” The little blonde girl’s head snaps up, and her eyes narrow dangerously as they settle on his friend. “Elizabeth, come sit with us!”

Jughead watches as she huffs, closes her book, stands up, and stomps over to stand in front of them with her arms crossed. “How many times have I _told_ you, _Archibald_ , to call me _Betty_ and not _Elizabeth_?” Up close, Jughead recognizes her to be the girl who lives next door to Archie, who has the bedroom with the window right across from Archie’s window. There is a moment where he thinks she is really mad at him, but then her face splits into a wide grin, and she plops herself down on the other side of Archie.

If he had known better, maybe he would have gotten up and moved away. Maybe he wouldn’t have shaken her hand when it stretched out over Archie’s lap. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have. But, given the chance, Jughead thinks that maybe, just maybe, he would have done it all over again, because this is where the three of them become inseparable for the foreseeable future.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The summer that they’re fourteen years old they spend all day, every day together. Whether they’re in Archie’s tree house, or Sweetwater Swimming hole, or watching movies in Archie’s den. They can’t go to Betty’s house, because her mom seems to have a vendetta against Jughead, and they can’t go to his house, because his father spends almost all of his free time drinking until he passes out only to wake up, rinse, and repeat. Sometimes they go to Pop’s, too, and they sit and drink milkshakes while Jughead works on his stories.

It is around this summer that they start to hit puberty. Archie grows about a foot, as does Jughead, and they start to look less like children and more like young adults. Betty, too, grows about six inches. Jughead isn’t blind to the way she goes from looking adorable with her blonde hair and big green eyes to, well, stunningly pretty, if he’s being honest. He’s not interested in her, though. She is one of his best friends, and he is lucky to be one of hers. She is sweet, and smart, and funny, and a little spitfire when she wants or needs to be.

He also isn’t blind to the way she starts to look at Archie. He’s not sure why, but she starts to put on mascara and eyeliner that makers her big, doe eyes look even bigger, and she bats her long eyelashes when she looks at Archie, she starts to laugh at all of Archie’s jokes, even when they aren’t funny, and she follows him around like a loyal puppy-dog.

Jughead tries to talk to Archie about it, but he brushes him off, telling Jughead that he’s being ridiculous. He isn’t sure, but he thinks that either Archie is oblivious, which seems possible, or that he simply likes the attention, which seems to be even more likely.

That same summer, they go to a pool party at Cheryl and Jason Blossom’s house to celebrate the twins’ birthday. Everyone plays a game of _Truth or Dare_ , everyone, that is, except for Jughead, who stands on the outskirts, merely watching. The circle goes around once, twice, and a third time. Each time, Betty chooses truth, and Archie chooses dare. Right after the third round is when Cheryl implements the rule that if you choose something three times in a row, you have to choose the other option. Jughead senses trouble on the rise, but he doesn’t step in. There’s no stopping Cheryl once she’s made up her mind.

It comes up to Betty’s turn, and she looks nervous as she chooses dare. The grin that spreads across Cheryl’s face is nothing short of wicked. “I dare you to kiss Archie.”

Betty’s face falters for a fraction of a second, but her gaze hardens. She gives a brilliant grin as she turns to look at the red-head sitting next to her. “Archie?” He gives a shy smile back. Jughead knows that neither of them has kissed anyone before, and although he’s sure this isn’t how Betty would have wanted her and Archie’s first kiss to go down, she seems eager enough anyway.

He looks away when they close the gap, not wanting to be one of the many to witness it. He can’t give them privacy, but he can give them one less pair of goggling eyes. He hears giggles, and then Cheryl’s high-pitched _ahem_ that cuts everyone short. He looks back to see a blushing Betty and an Archie who is trying to play it cool. “Okay, Archie, your turn.” She somehow has an even more wicked grin on her face, and Jughead wonders if he should step in now or later. “Is it true that you like Betty?”

It’s like watching a car-crash. The world slows down, and Jughead watches the scene as it unravels before him. Archie’s eyes go wide, and he shakes his head firmly. “What? No! I mean, yeah, we’re friends, but… that’s all. Just friends.” He looks at Betty for backup, who looks absolutely crushed, but nods her head anyway.

“Yeah, no… just friends…” She looks like she might cry, and she shoves her way off the ground, mumbling a weak excuse about needing to be home soon. She runs off, making her way out of the gated pool area and down the gravel path.

Archie looks after her, confused, and then shrugs, turning his attention back to Cheryl and her wicked game. Cheryl looks satisfied, proud almost, as she turns her attention to the next person in the circle. “Truth or dare?”

Before he even knows what he’s doing, the words, “Betty, wait up!” have come out of his mouth, and he’s turning on his heel to chase after her. “C’mon, Betty, just slow down.” Betty has always been fast, but he’s faster, and he covers the distance between them quickly and with ease.

He grabs her elbow to spin her around, and she lets out a strangled sob. “Why am I not good enough for him, Jug?”

Jughead feels angry, tired, and confused as Betty leans into him. He doesn’t know why it hurts him so much to watch Betty hurt like this, but he makes a mental note to punch Archie later for being so tactless. “He’s blind and stupid, Betts. I don’t know how he could be so deft.” He wraps one arm around her shoulders, feeling helpless in this moment. “I’m sorry.”

This is the moment he vows to always protect Betty Cooper, no matter the cost.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two summers later, when they’re sixteen, Archie spends the summer working with his dad in construction. Jughead only sees him a few times that summer, but every time he does, Archie has more muscles and acts a little bit more like a typical jock.

Jughead doesn’t see Betty as often, either. She spends almost all of her time with Kevin, moping around the town, lost without her red-headed sidekick. Whenever he does see her, though, it is close to midnight, and she comes into Pop’s, sidles into their favorite booth across from him, and says little to nothing.

The exception being tonight, though, where she slides into the booth next to him. She drinks her vanilla milkshake and sometimes tries to peek over the corner of his laptop, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it is he’s working on. She is all soft smiles and smudged makeup, golden curls and pastel colors. She gives up trying, though, and just lays her head down on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

“Jug, can I ask you something?” He nods, trying to keep his eyes on his laptop and keep his hands steady while he types. He’s not sure how he feels about this closeness. He hasn’t shared his space with her since they were fourteen and Jughead punched Archie’s shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise that lasted for a week to pay him back for hurting Betty at that birthday party. Betty had been upset with him at first, but she quickly forgave him and hugged him for standing up for her. Ever since then, he has kept his distance, but he has always stood up for her. Not that she really needs someone to stand up for her, but he’s always in her corner.

She is silent for a little longer than he would expected her to be, so he pauses his typing, angles his laptop down, and turns to face her. She lifts her head off his shoulder as he moves and props it up on her hand, looking at him, all green eyes and pink lips. Her eyes are both gentle and mischievous, and suddenly he regrets saying she could ask him whatever question is bouncing around her head.

“Jug… why haven’t you ever been on a date with anyone, or really shown interest in anyone?”

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and smiles at her, letting out a light chuckle. “You had me nervous, Betty. One free question, and that’s all you want to ask?” He turns back to his laptop and opens it fully again, still smiling. He glances over at her, taking in her small, pouting frown, and laughs again. “Fine, I’ll answer that, if you’ll first tell me why you want to know.”

She frowns deeper, opening and closing her mouth once, twice, before getting that pointed _I know everything_ look in her eye. “You’re sweet and thoughtful, you have a wonderfully dry sense of humor, you are kind regardless of what the world has thrown your way, and you’re alluring in your dark, brooding, secluded way. And, let’s be honest, Jughead… you’ve grown into that crown beanie of yours. I can’t be the only one who’s noticed.”

It takes him a second to realize that she is being honest and genuine. It takes him another second to realize that he actually likes what he hears. It makes him feel warm and seen in a way he never has before, and that terrifies him.

“I’ve never been interested in anyone before, you already know that.” Jughead has always taken himself to be someone who is truthful on all occasions, but as the words tumble out of his mouth, he thinks he just told his first lie to her. He lets something truthful follow this little white lie to make up for it. “I guess it would take someone really special to catch my eye.” She seems to take this as an acceptable answer, because she smiles and turns back to her milkshake. He watches her for a second longer before he turns back to his laptop, feeling some type of heaviness in his chest as he tries to work through his racing thoughts.

He thinks there might be a possibility that, somewhere along the timeline, the line that was the barrier between his friendship with Betty and the possibility of it turning into something more got a little bit blurry. It was true that it would take someone really special to catch his eye, and there was hardly a person more special to him than Betty Cooper.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Of course, there was no reason for him to have a suit, nor did he have money to rent one, but Jason Blossom’s memorial service was today, and he promised Betty that he would go with her. That’s how he ended up on Archie’s doorstep, feeling a little misplaced and uneasy. It wasn’t like him to ask for help, but sometimes it’s necessary.

He finally knocks on the door, and it is opened faster than he expected for it to be. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally knock, son. You’ve been on the porch for ten minutes, just standing there.” Jughead is face to face with Fred Andrews, Archie’s father, who is wearing a big grin. “Come in, come in.”

Jughead steps through the threshold, wincing as the door closes behind him. “Archie’s not here, but is there something I can help you with?”

“Actually, I think there is, Mr. Andrews. Do you or Archie have an extra suit?”

 

He feels weird in this borrowed suit, but it does fit him fairly well. Worry flits through his mind as he wonders what Betty will think, but he shakes the thought out of his head. _It doesn’t matter what she thinks._ Even as he does, he knows that it does matter, and he does care.  It shouldn’t matter but _shouldn’t_ and _doesn’t_ are two different things.

He knows no one is home in the Cooper household, so he lets himself in, calling out a loud “hello” as he does. He doesn’t get a reply, so he makes his way up the stairs and knocks at Betty’s door softly.

“Ready to enter the belly of the beast?” Even in an all-black, modest dress, Betty looks beautiful. Lately, that’s all he can think about- Betty Cooper is absolutely beautiful, and he had almost missed it. She gives him a once over and smiles. “This was the best I could do,” he says, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She doesn’t say anything in return, but her smile gets a little bigger, and he suddenly feels like he’s flying.

They leave the house together, not saying anything but not really having to. Their silence was always comfortable, with neither of them overcompensating to fill the empty void with meaningless chatter, and it was one of his favorite things about their friendship.

At the end of the day, Betty was absolutely his best friend, even if he wasn’t hers. That was enough for him.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He leans the ladder against the house, right up to her window. He knows it’s risky- he doesn’t want to get her into any more trouble, like he knows she will be in if they get caught, but he needs to make sure that she’s okay.

Before he can change his mind, he starts up towards her window. Betty is sitting at her desk, fiddling with her necklace and looking upset and frustrated. He watches her for a second before rapping with a single finger at the glass. The sound makes her jump, but she turns around and her face spreads into a wide grin at the sight of Jughead in his crown beanie at her bedroom window.

She flings the window open. “Hey there, Juliet.” She backs off so he can climb through, still grinning. “Nurse off-duty?” She doesn’t respond still, and he’s starting to second guess himself. Did he misread the signals? Did he only see what he wanted to see? He does the only thing he can think to do, and just keeps rambling. “You haven’t gone full Yellow Wallpaper on me yet, have you?”

She sighs, and the smile falls from her lips. “They’re crazy. My parents are crazy.”

Jughead’s smile falters too. “They’re parents. They’re all crazy.”

“No, but, what if… what if Polly is too? The way she was talking to me, the way she looked at me… and now all I can think is maybe I’m crazy like they are!”

Jughead finally gives in to the voice in his head telling him he should reach out, put his hands on her, comfort her. “Hey…” he says, reaching towards her. She lets out a big breath as his hand meets her shoulder, affirming that he’s done the right thing. “We’re all crazy.” She gives a small, dry laugh, as if she hardly believes him. “We’re not our parents, Betty. We’re not our families.” He can hear the honest passion in his own voice, and to his relief, Betty nods at his words. His hand drops from her shoulder, but her face still looks unsure, and his heart gives a bigger thud than before. “Also…” He didn’t remember deciding that he wanted to tell her how he’s been feeling for the past few months, or, really, years, if he’s being honest with himself, but he’s here, with her, and she is beautifully broken. She’s never judged him for being himself.

“What?” she asks. She is wide open, in this moment. Raw and honest and curious, just a few inches from him, and maybe Jughead only realized a few months ago that he wouldn’t mind kissing someone, but now he _wants_ to kiss her. His eyes are on her lips, wondering if she would smack him for leaning in and trying. _Did she just look at my lips?_ As quickly as she does, her eyes are back on his again, and he’s sure he imagined it. She leans in a little closer, raising a single eyebrow, prompting him to tell her what is on his mind. “What?” she repeats, a little more indignantly this time. And, if he’s not mistaken, she just looked at his lips, again.

_It’s now or never._ He steels himself for rejection, but if he doesn’t do it now, he doesn’t think he’ll ever have the courage to, so he swoops forward, places one hand on the back of her neck with his thumb on her cheek, plants the other hand firmly on her waist, and places his lips on hers. And, to his surprise, she doesn’t pull away, but grabs a handful of his jacket with one hand, and lightly places her fingertips on the side of his face with the other.

Jughead feels his heart swell, and liquid heat fills his entire body. He never would have imagined that Betty would kiss him, of all people, back. He never thought he would even be here, kissing Betty Cooper, the perfect girl-next-door, but here he was, filling that void that had been created from the past few months of being unsure with some emotion he couldn’t quite place, jumping into unknown territory with both feet forward.

Their lips separate, and Jughead lets out a big breath he didn’t know he was holding. Where his thumb is still on Betty’s face, he can feel her smile. Fleetingly, he wonders how he had ever thought that he wouldn’t, at some point, fall for Betty. It was inevitable, in the same way that the moon would sink and the sun would rise in the morning and there would be a brand-new hell-ish day waiting for them on the other side.

Yes, looking back on it, it was inevitable. And Jughead was falling fast and hard for Riverdale’s resident sweetheart, Betty Cooper.


End file.
